Crane breathing

Crane breathing
When you are seated comfortably, begin to feel the heat in the stomach at a point
two inches below the navel on the inside - this point is called the tan lien. Relax
the stomach: when you breathe in, allow the lower abdomen to come out gently.
Do not force the breath. Allow it to be gentle and natural. Do not try to control it
in any way. Before your lower abdomen reaches its maximum extension, apply
slight tension to prevent it bulging.
When you breathe out, contract the abdomen to exhale the air. Remember,
the movement of breath should be natural with no forcing in any way. Do not try
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MEDITATION
to take deep breaths. Just quietly feel the abdomen for the prescribed length of
time. When thoughts enter your head, just watch until they disappear and
return to feeling the tan tien. Trying to force the thoughts to stay away will only
make them proliferate. They will go if you watch them gently.
What can you expect to happen? Quite soon you will experience the heat in
the lower abdomen simply by concentrating on the area. With practice you may
experience a twitching sensation in the tan tien. This does happen often but do
not be alarmed. Students have reported sleeping better and feeling stronger in
themselves. Your breathing will become slower and deeper, without any
manipulation on your part.
Zen Buddhist monks practise this particular exercise at the start of their
meditation sessions each day. Do not underrate this meditation. Remember:
Enlightenment is about stripping away and making more simple, not more complex.